The NFL has reversed a $25,000 fine initially imposed on Houston’s running back Joe Mixon, following an appeal regarding remarks he made about officiating after the Texans’ playoff defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs. This decision came after a hearing where it was determined that Mixon’s statements did not constitute a direct criticism of the game officials.

Mixon received the fine after the Texans lost 23-14, a game in which their defense faced two penalties for hits on Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. In his post-game comments, Mixon stated, “Everybody knows how it is playing up here.” He added, “You can never leave it into the refs’ hands. The whole world sees, man, what it is. When it comes down to it, you can never leave it into the refs’ hands. It’s all good, though.”

According to a letter from appeals officer Chris Palmer, obtained during the hearing process on January 30, it was concluded that Mixon did not publicly criticize the officials. In his communication, Palmer emphasized the shared responsibility for maintaining the integrity of the game and the officials among all NFL participants. He acknowledged Mixon’s understanding of the weight of his words and how they could be interpreted by the public, especially given his prominence as a player.

Mixon’s fine was initially linked to a remark made by former Cincinnati receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh on X (formerly Twitter), which had been mistakenly attributed to Mixon in a report by Sports Illustrated. On the same day that Mixon was fined, the NFL reissued the penalty based on the statements he directly made. Following this, Sports Illustrated corrected their earlier mistake regarding the attribution of Houshmandzadeh’s comment.